A brief Google search by myself indicated that over 90% of stories on the OP-ED pages of mainstream newspapers were either lukewarm or negative towards the idea. It was hard to find more than a few stories that actually supported the government's proposal.
Of course when it came to the unions, the separatist and nationalist, French language doomsayers, the reaction bordered on the absurd, with predictions of gloom and doom making up the bulk of the stories, but that of course was to be expected.
An article in Le Devoir points out that Premier Charest likely announced this new policy after conducting internal polling that indicated that the public was largely in favour of increased English instruction, but you'd never find that to be the case by reading reactions in the media.
In fact that very same article went on to quote a language expert, Christian Dufour, who offered a myriad of reasons why the idea of increased English instruction is dangerous, something to be avoided at all costs.
It's interesting that to date we haven't heard from any of the pollsters concerning Mr. Charest's plan, which is usually the case when a controversial proposal is made. I'm sure that we'd find that the opinions of Quebeckers, don't match what is being said in the media, not even close.
The truth remains that the Quebec media is dominated by those who don't represent popular opinion and that separatists and left-wingers are badly over-represented.
For the purpose of this discussion, I'll limit myself to television, because that is were the majority of Quebeckers get their news and where they are exposed to editorial opinion.
Newspaper editorials and opinion pieces, as well as Internet political websites represent a tiny fraction of this sensibilization. Readers here, are more educated and critical. (as evidenced on this blog!) and tend to be more politicized and opinionated, much harder to push off their conservative or liberal predisposition.
The real battleground is television, where the evening newscast and the choice of editors in the political content of stories covered, help shape public opinion.
"The medium is the message" is a phrase coined by Marshall McLuhan, which dictates that what the media decides to cover as newsworthy, shapes our opinion regardless of the point of view of the story.
If the media carries many stories about French students attending English cegeps, the public is conditioned to believe that there is a problem there, regardless of whether both sides of the issue is explored.
The same goes for the ongoing discussions of shale gas exploration. The fact that the media dwells to such an extent on the subject leads the public to conclude that the issue is important.
Sometimes the media exposure is warranted (as in the case of shale gas) and sometimes it is not, (as is the case of English cegeps.)
Unlike English Canada, Quebec is rather limited in television choices and particularly in the realm of news and current events. That is why the Radio Canada (the French CBC) plays a much bigger role in shaping Quebec public opinion than does the CBC in English Canada, which is forced to compete not only with CTV and Global, but news organizations in the USA, such as FOX news and CNN.
Soon Canada will get a conservative news channel, insuring that the public is exposed to even a wider realm of all manner of ideas.
The impact of Radio Canada in Quebec cannot be underestimated and the fact that editorially it's optic is so largely far-left and separatist is clearly disturbing.
This opinion is not exclusively mine, Radio Canada has been described as being run by the CLIQUE DU PLATEAU by better pundits than I, a denigrating term to describe the ultra-liberal separatists who make up the majority of the on and off-air staff at the crown corporation (ironic, eh!)
"The Clique du Plateau is a term used to describe a certain elite, an intelligentsia, real or fictitious, made up of people who have an important influence on culture and media across Quebec from Montreal, and more precisely one of its neighbourhoods, the Plateau Mont-Royal, home to an artistic community....The Clique du Plateau is often accused of being associated with the political left and socialism and is considered diametrically opposite to centrists and rightist ideology, including that of the Action Democratique du Quebec. It also sometimes involves the PQ and the sovereignty ideology." Wikipedia{Fr}And so everyday we are treated to interviews and discussions on language issues, most (but not all) from a nationalistic point of view, giving an over-weighted relevance to the issue.
The 'Clique' is wildly anti-conservative, pro-sovereignist, anti-Canada, anti-USA and of course anti-Israel.
Sometimes, as in the case of Israel, reporters are so biased that they are called to task as in the case of an on-air interviewer who likened Israel to Iran. LINK
Simon Durivage was forced to apologize on-air when the corporation's own ombudsman condemned his characterization. LINK
Recently the network came under intense fire for airing a 'documentary' on the influence of evangelical Christians on the Harper government. The program was so biased and nasty that a firestorm of criticism erupted. I shall perhaps have something to say on that subject in a future post. Watch the show
It's not likely that the program in question, "Enquete" will air an exposé anytime in the future, concerning the inordinate amount of influence that unions hold on the Parti Quebecois!
This of course, is an example of how editorial choices and the subjects chosen to be covered by Radio Canada, affect and shape public opinion.
What remains interesting is that despite the bombardment of anti-Canada and anti-English opinions put forward, Quebeckers continue to resist falling for the propaganda.
While Quebeckers are reminded and threatened each day that sending their children to English school or teaching them English in any enhanced manner, diminishes the French character of Quebec, they continue to resist, and opinion polls demonstrate that the majority want English instruction.
Perhaps it is the selfish notion that parents of all nationalities, creeds and languages share, the desire to give their children the very best chance in life to succeed, this despite the brain-washing campaign being waged against them.
It leads us to wonder what would be the political reality if fairness and balance was returned to our airwaves.
